On Tuesday, Tennessee, Alabama and 12 other states will participate in the 2020 Super Tuesday primary election.
For voters in Hamilton County, the Democratic primary ballot holds an important decision in the 2020 presidential election, while the Republican ballot will determine a heated local race.
FOR DEMOCRATS:
All states involved will pick a favorite in the 2020 presidential Democratic primary, helping whittle down the crowded field of candidates on the largest primary day of the election.
Democratic ballots will include a whopping 15 presidential candidates, led nationally by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden and former Mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg.
While overall early voting turnout dipped slightly below that of 2016, local Democrats' turnout soared nearly 50% and actually topped the total number of GOP voters in the Republican county, according to a Times Free Press report.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County, Tennessee Democrats turned out in droves during early voting)
More Info
Hamilton County polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3.Registered voters must bring one of the following types of identification:— United States Passport— Photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security— Photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government— United States Military photo ID— Tennessee handgun carry permit with your photoTo find your polling station, fill out the form at hamiltontn.gov/HCEC_VoterRequest
FOR REPUBLICANS:
With 30 of the available 37 delegates committed to incumbent Donald Trump for their presidential nominee, interest in the Republican ballot comes from a local race.
In Hamilton County, Republican voters will also get to decide the outcome of a contentious battle for property assessor between incumbent Marty Haynes and County Commission Chairman Randy Fairbanks.
With both Haynes and Fairbanks running as Republicans and no Democratic or other competition, this primary election will decide whether Haynes stays in office for a second term or Fairbanks takes his seat in late summer.
The race between Fairbanks and Haynes, two former friends whose relationship soured during their shared time on the county commission, has largely hinged on public perception of transparency and equity in the office responsible for assigning property values that influence tax bills.
Fairbanks has run a campaign that, if successful, would result in him vacating his commission seat for roughly half of his four-year term, based on unproven accusations that Haynes unfairly lowered the property value of a political ally to save the property owner tax cost.
Despite multiple critical mailers and accusations by Fairbanks, Haynes has denied allegations of unfair assessments and run his campaign on promises of continued fiscal prudence and transparency in the assessor's office.
The winner of the election will serve a four-year term, the length of one full reassessment cycle, make a little more than $130,000 a year and receive county benefits.
Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at 423-757-6416 or at staylor@timesfreepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.